ERIMENT

AIM

To
demonstrate plasmolysis and deplasmolysis in peels of onion bulb or Tradescantia or
Rhoeo leave
REQUIREMENTS
Onion bulb or
slides, microscopes,Tadescantia or Rhoeo leaves; sodium chloride/KCI, water, forceps, needle,
beakers, droppers, balance, blotting paper. coverslips, gla
THEORY
OSmosis is the diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane from a region of low sol
concentration (i.e., dilute solution) to high solute concentration (i.e., concentrated solution).
Types of Osmosis

Endosmosis Exosmosis
Water moves inside the cell when it is Water moves outside the cell when it
kept in hypotonic solution. is kept in hypertonic solution.

The external environment of a cell is described in terms of its tonicity. External environment of a celli
experimental conditions is the solution in which the cell is kept. Based on concentrations of solutions, there an
three kinds of solutions :

Isotonic solution Hypertonicsolution Hypotonic solution

S.No.
The solution having the same Solution which has higher solute Solution which has lower solute
(i) concentration than the cell sap.
concentration as the cell sap. concentration than the cell sap.

Example, 0.9% NaCl solution. Example, 10% NaCl solution. Example, 0.1% NaCl solution.
(iü)
When a cell is placed in When a cell is placed in When a cell is placed in
(ii) hypotonic solution, endosmosis
isotonicsolution, there is no net hypertonic solution, exosmosis
movement of water molecules. takes place. takes place.
wher
Plasmolysis Shrinkage of protoplast and its movement away from cell wall due to exosmosis,
cell.
aplant cell is placed in hypertonic solution, such a cell is called plasmolysed
Deplasmolysis : When aplasmolysed cell is placed in water, it regains itsoriginal form and the proces
is called deplasmolysis and the cell is called deplasmolysed cell.
Significance of Plasmolysis
(i) It acts as vital force to explain phenomenon of osnmosis.
(iü) Process of plasmolysis is involved in killing weeds from tennis court.
(iü) It is used to preserve meat, etc., as their salting kills bacteria by plasmolysis of cells.

PROCEDURE

1. Solution : Toprepare solutions of 0.9%, 0.3% and 10% NaC1, add 0.9 g. 0.3 g and 10 g of NaCi in beas
a, b, c containing 100 ml distilled water each.
 out onion peels or
2. Take leaf peels from
of 0.9%, NaCl solution,
other peel on slide B Tradescantia leaves and put them on slide 'A' containing a drop
slide C containing a drop of 10%
NaCl solution. containing a drop of 0.3% NaCl solution and third peel on
g. Wait for 5-7 minute,
4. Cover
the slides with coverslip and observe
Remove the them under mieroscope.
5. coverslip from slide C. Add distilled water and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes and then
again cover it with coverslip and
observe under the microscope.

Cefl wal!
Cell wall
Cell membrane
Cell membrane
Vacuole
Shnnking vacuole
Cytoplasm
Cytoplasm
Nucleus Nucleus

Normal turgid celland deplasmolysed cell Incipient plasnolysis

Cell wall

Cell menbrane
Shrinking vacuole
Cytoplasm
Nucleus

Plasmolysed cell
Fig. Experiment showing turgid cell, deplasmolysed cell, incipient plasmolysis and plasmolysed cell

OBSERVATIONS AND DISCUSSION

Slide A Shows normal cells as 0.9% NaCl solution is a isotonic solution, so there is no net
movement of water across the cells.
Slide B Shows turgid cells as 0.3% NaCl solution is a hypotonic solution, so water moves into
the cells due to endosmosis.
Slide C Contains 10% NaCl solution which is a hypertonic solution so due to exosmosis the cells
become plasmolysed. When hypertonic solution of slide C is replaced by normal water
or isotonic solution, deplasmolysis takes place due to endosmosis and cell membrane
regains its original position.

PRECAUTIONS
I. Leave the cells undisturbed for5-10 minutes in hypertonic solution for sufficient exOsmosis to take place.
2. Peel size should be good enough, i.e., neither too big nor too small.
3. Keep extra pieces of peel in water to avoid entry of air bubbles.
4. Transfer peels with the help of a brush.
5. Handle the microscope carefully.
blotting paper before observing under the microscope.
wash excess solution after putting the coverslip with